Playback VS Live

[U2Fan101]

Looking on youtube and I stumbled across this video.

YouTube - U2 in tokyo vertigo & window in the skies

One of the comments someone says everything is playback except for Bono's vocals. I'm not trying to sound like I'm bashing the band for doing this, I'm curious - why playback and fake playing everything except for vocals? Why not just have everything live at a concert?

I mean, it just seems like Edge, Adam and Larry are just play-synching and have no real purpose on stage while Bono sings. Any musicians in the house want to help me understand the point of playback while performing live?

 

[discothequeLP]

1. because they're on top of a fucking skyscraper, and sound/space may be an issue up there

2. edge's rig would be a bitch to carry up there, and would probably launch into space

3. so edge can use his cool music rising guitar without sounding like fart on vertigo


but edge's guitar sounds live for window in the skies? hmmm

 

[BVS]

Why not just have everything live at a concert?

It wasn't a concert.

 

[U2Fan101]

It wasn't a concert.

I realized from the beginning it wasn't a concert. I used the wrong word. Thank you for pointing out my stupidity.

 

[digitize]

1. because they're on top of a fucking skyscraper, and sound/space may be an issue up there

2. edge's rig would be a bitch to carry up there, and would probably launch into space

3. so edge can use his cool music rising guitar without sounding like fart on vertigo


but edge's guitar sounds live for window in the skies? hmmm

Also, I believe, he uses his Music Rising LP (not the right guitar) for Vertigo, but a Rickenbacker (the right guitar) on WITS. At the same time, though, there are some Edge backing vocals that sound (and look) very pre-recorded. Curious... very curious...

 

[last unicorn]

It was for a TV show, I think the Japanese TV people insisted on playback. And as someone else said, the location - being on top of a noisy, windy sky scraper - also had something to do with it. Generally I don't think the band likes to lip- or play-synch, I read several quotes from them where they said they find it stupid.

 

[Galeongirl]

the jap tv people indeed insisted, apparently it's normal there to playback on tv

 

[LemonMelon]

the jap tv people indeed insisted, apparently it's normal there to playback on tv

It was the same on Top Of The Pops and CD: UK back in 2004, if I recall correctly.

 

[vaz02]

I think its required on TV for legal reasons. Some channels on British TV arent allowed to Broadcast live music, this even includes a short piano peice on a tv chat show. Maybe Japan have a similair situation.

 

[ahittle]

Logistics. Some TV shows just don't want to deal with the mess that it takes to properly mix and broadcast a live band. U2 have done these deals before - where just the vocals are live. It used to be a lot more prevalent with shows like American Bandstand, et al.

Wasn't part of the Super Bowl performance canned as well?